Hundreds gather outside GPO in Dublin to protest against racism

The anti-racism group marched from the GPO towards the garden of remembrance while chanting: “Far right, far right, hear us clear, refugees are welcome here.”  Although gardaí expected 250 to attend, it was estimated between 400 and 450 people actually attended.

One of the organisers, Steph Hanlon, said it was a coming together of various activist groups to show solidarity with refugees, asylum seekers and all marginalised people who, she said, are being “targeted by the far-right”. 

“There has been an increase in far-right activity over the past few months and a coalition has been set up, as of January, to counter and to challenge that,” she said. 

Ms Hanlon said it is “understandable” that communities across Ireland are upset and angered by multiple crises but that the anger is misdirected as a result of misinformation and manipulation.

“We’re in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, we’re in a housing crisis, we’re in a healthcare crisis, we’re in the middle of an environmental disaster,” she said before adding that those who are worst hit are the working class. 

“This inequality has become a fertile breeding ground for fascist and far-right ideas to take hold. 

If you’re in a working-class community and you have been hit and you’re struggling from a lack of resources, you are understandably angry, the only issue is that this anger and frustration and fear is being misdirected away from the government where the responsibility lies.

Claire Casey, one of the founders of East Wall Here For All, said it is upsetting to see what has happened within her community in East Wall in recent months.

“I found it really distressing that people could think it’s okay to shout abuse at people who are coming into the country looking for shelter,” she said.

The protest had little interference apart from one woman who used a megaphone directly across from those protesting to play the sound of sheep while saying the group was “brainwashed”. 

The woman also called the group “Nazis” and alleged that women were being raped and mugged on the streets by refugees. She shouted through the megaphone that the group should be “ashamed” of themselves and chanted: “Refugees are not welcome here”.

Anti-migration protest

Separately, more than 2,000 anti-migration protestors held rallies outside the offices of a number of newspapers and radio stations including Mediahuis Ireland which publishes a number of titles including the Sunday World and Irish Independent. They also protested outside the Irish Times offices and Bauer Media in Marconi House which broadcasts Newstalk, Today FM, Spin and 98FM.

Malachy Steenson, part of the East Wall Protest Committee said: “We are not the far right, are the children in these buggies the far right?

"Today the government announced they are going to put immigration gardaí in place – maybe they’ll do it two days a week. 

The media has called us racists and far right, we are not racists, we want our country back. We are concerned citizens.

The march also went to the Travel Lodge on Moss Street where it is understood some asylum seekers are being housed. The group chanted “out, out, out” as they stood outside the building.

The rally comes just days after Dublin Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy met with a number of groups over the rise in similar protests. More than 70 demonstrations have been held around the country in the past month and the purpose of the gathering was to bring community groups and locals' representatives together to help ease the tension.